


Emergency Procedures

by Tarlan



Series: Emergency Colors [12]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Character Study, Community: fanfic100, Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-02-17
Updated: 2007-02-17
Packaged: 2017-10-20 21:12:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/217142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the last night on Earth, and John wants to spend it with Rodney.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Emergency Procedures

**Author's Note:**

> Fanfic100 challenge. Prompt: 017. Brown.

"It's brown."

"Well, more a sort of beige."

"But with the blue panels and shirts?"

Rodney frowned wondering why the other scientists were discussing the new uniforms with disapproval. As far as he was concerned it was just one less decision to make each morning when he awoke. Not that he made much of an effort where clothes were concerned anyway. As long as he was warm and comfortable then why care if an item was blue, beige, brown, green, stripy or checked, and who cared if it all matched in tone, color or in combination? Military and political were the dark gray, and science was beige because it made sense that the military kept to darker colors so they could be stealthy and melt into shadows, and the political types were a shady lot anyway with their pseudo-science.

He knew a number of the scientists resented the idea of being forced into a uniform no matter what color because it smacked of military oppression, but they were going to another galaxy where they couldn't exactly go down to the mall when they needed a new t-shirt. Far better to take a whole consignment of clothes of the same type but in different sizes and fewer colors. Perhaps, once they had found another ZPM and re-established contact with Earth then they could order from some online clothes catalog for personal attire and have General O'Neill push them through the Stargate.

"What if we have to go off-world? We'd stand out like sore thumbs in these colors."

Rodney sighed. "In all the time you've been at the SGC and Area51, have you ever been off-world? Do you think the military are going to allow any of the science personnel to go off-world, let alone unprotected? No. We will be safely confined to our laboratories as always."

"Dr. Jackson goes off-world."

"Dr. Jackson is not a typical scientist." Rodney frowned. "If you can call those squishy social studies any kind of science really."

Of course, Sandler took umbrage at having his so-called discipline denigrated but at least it deflected the argument away from the science division's uniforms. In truth, the color was not really flattering to anyone but Rodney had never intended a fashion parade, and no one had asked for his advice on the uniform color anyway. Rodney had a strong suspicion that Kavanagh might have had something to do with it. The military quartermaster had simply presented him as a fait accompli, dumping dozens of large boxes filled with light brown pants and jackets, and blue shirts with a mass email to tell the scientists to come collect their allotment as part of their 'carry-through-the Stargate' packs. The spares would go through separately.

Rodney rolled his eyes as he was swiftly measured, giving a hostile stare when the man got a little too close to his genitals for comfort. He had the required jacket and several packs of t-shirts and two pairs of pants dumped in his arms, reminding him of a film all about military boot camps, or was it a prison movie? Whatever, he thought. He moved on and accepted the next sets of items, grumbling under his breath that he shouldn't need to waste his time in this poor excuse for a queue when he had important work to do in preparation for the attempt to lock onto the Pegasus galaxy address. However, with less than a week to go, the military wanted to try at least one rehearsal to make sure the Stargate did not shut down before all the important supplies, equipment and people were through. Each department had already prioritized their equipment to make sure they didn't end up with toilet rolls but no food, bandages but no medicines, or hard drives with no laptops to put them in. It was a logistical nightmare and Rodney had to double check everyone's lists as well as the hard sciences. Once he had those priority lists, he needed another list to prioritize the priorities because he could only estimate on how much time would be lost when the military point team went through to check out the other side manually.

Rodney was not certain if he liked Colonel Sumner as the man was a hard-ass marine rather than a slightly less formal Air Force Colonel but he had to admire the fact that the man would be stepping through first if everything looked okay on the MALP, and would be stranded there if it all went to hell. Sheppard was assigned to the second team because, depending on what they found, they might need his innate ability with the ATA gene. Despite the fear that left him hyperventilating on several occasions when he was not too preoccupied to think about the enormous risk he was taking - which was rare, admittedly - Rodney intended to be near the front of the main group. They needed him more than they needed the one of the lower ranking botanists, technicians or soldiers. They needed him to set up interfaces between any technology they found beyond the gate. Rodney placed Kavanagh at the back of the queue. He had not wanted the man at all but both Elizabeth and the US committee had demanded Rodney accept Kavanagh should he wish to go. Unfortunately, Kavanagh had said yes.

Over the past month, Rodney had gone over every possible permutation and created emergency procedures to counteract each and every known eventuality, though he realized that he could never plan for everything. Something left behind as relatively unnecessary could take on far greater importance once they got to Atlantis. Even, God forbid, Kavanagh. He just had to hope that the combined brainpower from all the scientists going with them would be enough to cover any shortfall and allow them to create or recreate what they needed if that happened.

One more week, he thought as he walked away with more than enough clothing and additional items to fill his military issued backpack, leaving very little space for any other items. He had still to decide what to take as his personal item but, as his cat was out of the question and had already been rehoused with his next door neighbor, that left only his music and film collection. Obviously, he was not going to fit over a hundred DVDs and box sets into his pack no matter how thin they were so he had spent his enforced downtime working on his new compression algorithm, sending out a copy of the utility for the other scientists to make use of, before checking on the Expedition database to see what others were planning to take. No point in duplicating effort after all. If they were going to be stranded in another galaxy indefinitely, then they might as well make certain they had a few creature comforts from home.

Rodney had given up on checking the medical list when he realized he truly had no idea what was important and what could be safely left behind - if anything - should the Stargate shut down before everything had gone through. He would just have to trust Carson. The 38 minutes was only a guideline after all, as the mostly depleted ZPM from the outpost might not be able to hold the gate open for even that long before it was fully depleted. He had already considered bolstering the ZPM with a several Naquadah generators powered up in tandem but their output would be minimal compared to the amount of power needed to maintain the wormhole to another galaxy, and that power had to come from the dialing Stargate.

As he wandered back towards the room allotted to him at the SGC, he turned a corner and found Daniel walking towards him alongside O'Neill. The General straightened a fraction, taking on a slightly strangled expression which might have worried Rodney if he truly cared what O'Neill thought of him. However, he had seen him react the same way towards all the scientists, including Sam Carter on one occasion, so he didn't take it personally. Rodney smiled fractionally as he remembered the slightly glazed look when he had tried to explain the ZPM to O'Neill back in Antarctica, and Rodney began to wonder if all the military came from the same mold because Sheppard regularly had a similar look of dazed confusion before he tuned Rodney out completely.

"Daniel, General O'Neill."

"Jack."

Rodney winced at the slight exasperation in the General's voice, only then recalling that he had said that every time they met in recent weeks but with so much going on it was difficult to remember social niceties. "Yes, of course."

"I see the quartermaster is issuing the uniforms... at last."

"Hmm? Oh. Yes." Rodney glanced at the bundle in his arms. He huffed breathily. "Still plenty left over for you, Daniel."

"And Daniel's still not going," Jack responded, reminding Rodney of the decision made weeks ago though he had hoped the General would have relented by now, except Rodney knew this was no longer a matter of simply saying goodbye to a friend as far as the General was concerned; Daniel was his lover now. As much as Daniel wanted to step through the gate on what could be the adventure of a lifetime, he had yet to convince Jack that it might not necessarily be a one way trip, that there was a strong chance that they would find plenty of fully charged ZPMs in the city and be able to power up the Stargate to get home. However it seemed that this was one risk Jack was not willing to take, and Daniel's attempt to convince him to join the expedition had also failed because the President had decided he needed the General running the SGC and protecting Earth.

The speculative look he gained from O'Neill at every meeting made Rodney wonder how much he knew about him and Daniel, and whether he saw Rodney as some sort of rival for Daniel's affection. Rodney hoped not because the man could probably snap him in half like a twig and, anyway, he and Daniel were in it for a little light relief to strip away the loneliness and tension. The fact that they liked each other was just an added bonus, whereas Rodney knew Daniel's feelings for O'Neill ran far deeper.

He hooked a thumb towards the end of the corridor. "I should be..."

"Catch you in the cafeteria later."

"Right." Rodney nodded. "General."

"Jack," he muttered under his breath as he moved on, drawing Daniel with him.

****

John waited until the penultimate day before arriving at the SGC. He had spent the past two weeks visiting some old haunts from his less than stable childhood, making trite decisions on what he planned to take with him to another galaxy. In the end, though, it was just as easy to toss a coin than make a decision where some items were concerned. The SGC had told him he could take one personal item but he'd been on enough tours of duty to know how to bend those rules a fraction. Except, this time, he knew there might not be a supply drop every few weeks and what they packed might be all they had to rely upon for the rest of their lives. It made greater sense, therefore, to ensure that everything he took had some meaning or value.

One advantage of working close with McKay was that he knew all about the stacks of films and TV shows being compressed onto spare media by the scientists but figured there would be a serious lack of sports. He had filled a small flash drive with a few dozen greatest sporting moments, including his all time favorite 'Hail Mary' game. Now, all he had to do was work out what else he could carry in his kit to increase his chances of surviving so far from home.

Ordnance and emergency rations were already accounted for, though Sumner had not been so keen on his input for a few larger weapons considering Sumner was a ground soldier. Of course, McKay had brushed off John's concern with an offhand comment about making bombs if it came to it. Strangely, he was inclined to believe the man having seen the deft way McKay worked on that Naquadah generator during the power cut, so he let that one go. In truth, Sumner was not keen on him at all so John had kept out of the way and let the Colonel pick his men and equipment without further comment. If Weir was right then, although the second ranking officer, he would not have a lot to do with the military running of the expedition. She had probably figured out a fancy title just for him. ATA Liaison or something else grandiose and yet meaningless in the long run. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair having already picked up his new uniform and patches.

On his way back to the room assigned to him, John was surprised to see McKay pacing in the corridor. He dropped his pack by his door with a loud thump, managing to startle the scientist.

"Major! Uhmm...What are you doing here?"

John pointed to the door. "My quarters for the night."

"Oh. Yes. Erhm. Mine is..." he waved along the corridor to the next door.

"So...we're neighbors."

"Hmmm? Oh." McKay licked his lips nervously. "Don't you find those rooms a little...erhm....claustrophobic?"

"I wouldn't know. My first time here."

"Oh. Of course. You were stationed in Antarctica for the last year or two."

John pushed open his door and looked inside. It was a little dull and spartan, looking more like a closet that had been emptied in an emergency rather than an actual room for sleeping in, but it had a wide cot up against the back wall and a small sink in the corner, though no toilet facilities. John guessed there would be communal washrooms just along the corridors. He pushed his bag inside with his foot, flicked on the light and then wandered down to McKay's door and peered inside. If anything, the room was slightly smaller and darker but John knew space was at a premium right now because of all the extra bodies filling the SGC. Most were sleeping three or four to a room so John was actually grateful to get his own space. Rank had to count for something after all.

McKay straightened suddenly, forcing back the fear. "Perhaps I should go back to the control room and run a few more diagnostics on the ZPM to ensure the..."

"Or you could join me." John almost blinked in surprise at his audacity in propositioning McKay within the corridors of the SGC. Having heard the rumor concerning McKay and Jackson, he knew McKay wasn't going to throw a fit but, still, this was a military base. "Last night on Earth," he said by way of explanation and McKay's eyes widened fractionally.

"It is, isn't it?" he started taking some faster breaths. "We might not even be in the same galaxy this time tomorrow."

"Hey!" John reached for him, placing a hand on his shoulder in reassurance, voice gentle. He moved back towards his marginally larger room slowly, drawing McKay with him. Once they were both inside, he reached past McKay and pushed the door shut. The lock was a flimsy affair that was meant as a token for privacy's sake rather than for security. One firm kick from the outside would see that door crashing inwards but John some how doubted anyone would give a damn what happened here tonight. For all anyone knew, they might be lost from tomorrow. Never seen or heard from again.

John splayed his hands over Rodney's chest, feeling the man's rapid heartbeat through the light cotton t-shirt. Firm muscle lay beneath his hands though he knew Rodney's body was far softer in other places, the victim of a mostly sedentary lifestyle. His finger dragged over one nipple and he felt as well as heard the slight hitch as Rodney reacted and that pleased John. Not all men had sensitive nipples, though John had noticed Rodney's could be pretty perky when he was not wearing his fleece at the outpost, and John had a slight fixation with nipples, be they a woman's or a man's. He rubbed over them again, drawing a soft moan from Rodney that went straight to his groin. He could feel the tiny buds tightening and desperately wanted to see them and taste them.

"Get this off," he ordered softly, tugging the t-shirt free from Rodney's pants and diving in the moment the material cleared the lightly furred chest.

"Oh God!" Rodney's voice trembled as John worried one tiny bud with teeth and tongue, tasting the saltiness of Rodney's skin while his fingers tweaked at the other exposed nipple. Muscles flexed beneath his questing tongue and fingers as Rodney finally discarded the t-shirt, and then there were fingers scrabbling in his hair and a chest pushing up into his face for more attention while Rodney murmured a litany of 'oh God, so good.'

It seemed almost a shame to let go but with one last flick, John lifted his head and took Rodney's mouth in a dirty, sex-starved kiss, tongue pushing between the soft lips, claiming Rodney, owning him with every lick, suck and bite. He fumbled at Rodney's belt until Rodney got the message and began to strip out of the rest of his clothing. John skinned out of his quickly, almost desperate to feel hot naked flesh against his own. He pressed forward, pushing a knee between Rodney's legs and aligning their hard cocks. His own guttural cry was swallowed even as he captured Rodney's needy little sounds. Rocking slowly at first, he knew he was leaving damp trails of precome on his partner's skin, finding perfect friction but John wanted more than this. He wanted to be inside that sweetly curving ass when he came. He wanted to feel Rodney bucking beneath him, muscles clenching tight around him as he thrust deeper and deeper, slaking his lust inside this intriguing, endlessly fascinating man.

Rodney whimpered when John pulled away.

"I want to fuck you."

"Okay, okay. Uhmm...Have you got any..?"

"I've got lube."

"What about..?"

"We're both clean, Rodney," he whispered into the curve of an ear as he turned him around and pressed him to the bed onto hands and knees.

"Yes, of course. Medical checks. Wouldn't want to take a host of diseases to another galaxy."

"Exactly."

Leaving Rodney on the bed, John rummaged through his bag until he found his hand lotion. He turned back to the bed and froze, heart beating wildly at the wondrous view of Rodney waiting for him submissively, ass raised, begging to be taken, and head pillowed on his forearms.

"Beautiful," he whispered.

"Hmm?" Rodney opened his eyes and glanced back, heat suffusing his face when he realized John was staring at him. He started to lift up and that galvanized John back into action. He stepped forward and placed a hand squarely between the broad shoulders, stroking gently even as he pushed Rodney back down. Kneeling behind him, John eased a lotion-covered finger into the tight hole, loving the way the muscle tightened against the intrusion for a moment before relaxing. He set up a slow rhythm, one finger then two, then three while his other hand stroked the length of Rodney's cock too slowly to bring him off but enough to keep him hard and wanting. He knew Rodney was close though. He could feel it in the tenseness of the balls cradled in his hand on every down stroke and in the heavily-scented precome smearing over the sensitive head, smoothing the strokes as he slowly jacked Rodney. Pulling out his fingers, he caught at Rodney's hip, holding him steady as John lined up his cock and pushed forward, sighing in relief as he breached the strong, loosened muscle and sank into the heat of Rodney's body.

"Damn. So good."

John took a moment to savor the pressure and the heat surrounding his cock. It had been months since he allowed himself this pleasure, not wanting to take too many risks while his career hung in the balance at McMurdo. While on leave, he had considered finding a gay bar and a willing body to follow him into the washroom for some quick and dirty sex but, annoyingly, all he could think of was McKay. McKay with his wide mouth and crooked smile; McKay and his incredible blue eyes that shone with childlike joy at every discovery... McKay and his beautiful heart-shaped ass.

"Move, dammit."

John chuckled at Rodney's pushy demand but he caved in. He drew back until almost all the way out and then slammed back in, thrusting deeper inside, feeling his balls slap against the slightly padded, perfectly curved ass. Next time, he added a slight twist of his hips and was rewarded by a low moan, knowing he had hit the spot on the first try. His hand curled back beneath Rodney, grasping his shaft firmly and jacking him in time to every thrust as John sank deep into his lover until, with a wordless cry, he felt Rodney freeze beneath him. Every muscle clamped impossibly tight, dragging another guttural moan from John as he was forced over the edge into his own climax, spurting deep inside the beautiful body lying so pliant beneath him, while the heat of Rodney's release coated his fingers and splattered across the bedding

"Heavy."

"Hmm?"

John couldn't recall losing his senses so completely before but it was obvious that he had collapsed across Rodney's broad back, sending him sprawling with knees splayed apart and with John's cock semi-hard and still buried in that gorgeous ass. John wished he was still in his teens, wished he could recover fast enough to stay like this and take Rodney again and again, but he needed a little more recovery time these days so he moved as gently as he could, pulling himself out and flopping to one side. Rodney turned his face towards him, his hair all mussed, eyes almost fever bright but eyelids drooping, sated and content. He was panting softly, his lips parted into a gentle 'O' that John wanted to feel wrapped around his cock - perhaps later. John leaned forward and kissed him, almost tasting the lazy pleasure and contentment in the sweetest of kisses.

With a groan, he pushed up from the bed and pulled a cloth from his wash bag, dampening it in the small sink before bringing it back to the bed and wiping his lover gently, loving this part of sex when he could touch so intimately but without the heat of desire clouding his eyes. He could see Rodney was slipping into a restful sleep and he dropped the washcloth into the sink before tugging the bed covers out from beneath Rodney. He reached for the soft blankets piled on the chair and carefully threw the blankets over the sleeping man before climbing in beside him, snuggling down into the warmth as Rodney wrapped an arm around him.

With luck, Rodney was an early riser and they could make another beautiful memory before they stepped into the great unknown.

***

Daniel stared across the table at Rodney, taking in the soft smile and contented look in his eyes, especially when Rodney glanced in a certain direction as covertly as he could managed, which wasn't particularly successful. Flicked his glance around the cafeteria, Daniel saw Major Sheppard trying to look disinterested in them but, despite Jack's claims that he could be totally oblivious, Daniel could read his body language as well as he read English. He turned back to Rodney with a sly grin.

"You didn't!?" he murmured softly, eyes widening as Rodney's cheeks flushed. "Oh you did."

Rodney swallowed hard and then raised his chin in defiance. "We were just two people sharing a last night on Earth."

Fortunately, Rodney's matter-of-fact voice did not carry further than their table. Daniel ducked his head, unable to hold back on the smile that threatened to spill into laughter out of sheer happiness for his friend because he knew how Rodney felt about the dashing Major with the special gene. Hadn't he already told Rodney that Sheppard liked him too? Perhaps next time Rodney would believe him. He took a deep breath and another spoonful of cereal, listening attentively as Rodney changed the subject and started on about the Ancients and their technology and language. Daniel had spent a number of hours teaching Rodney the rudiments of the Ancient language, knowing how beneficial it could be for Rodney in his research of their technology. Despite Rodney's assurance that he had no aptitude whatsoever for what he considered a squishy science, he had made amazing progress. That massive brain of his had soaked up the knowledge like a sponge.

Perhaps, in another timeline, whatever traumatic event had pushed Rodney away from archeology and languages would see him moving towards them instead. Certainly, he had the ability to be an expert in whatever field he chose to pursue, including music.

Sam had mentioned the pianist joke while they were camping off-world one time but even she had not believed Rodney incapable of being no more than technically competent. Perhaps that was why Daniel had made the effort to look beyond the pettiness and arrogance when they first met in Antarctica, knowing it was likely just a defense against a hurtful world. He was right, and he was glad he made the effort, and he was grateful that Sheppard and Elizabeth had also seen beyond the arrogance. Some how, though, Daniel doubted Sam would ever really try perhaps because he was too much of a rival professionally but Jack was far more perceptive than most people realized and, though he would never admit it out loud, he had come to like Rodney too.

Rodney disappeared off and returned with yet another refill of coffee but as he drained this final cup, he sighed.

"This is it. Still time to change your mind. We could use a linguist and archaeologist. You could have Kavanagh's spot on the expedition."

"You just don't want Kavanagh."

He snorted. "I don't want half of the people we're taking. I can foresee endless days listening to Gall drone on about subjects he barely knows enough about, proclaiming to be a genius nonetheless. And Peterson with his paranoid delusions of being too important to leave behind."

"You've also got Peter Grodin, and Carson, Elizabeth and Radek Zelenka."

"Who?"

"The little Czech guy from Area51 whose been studying the Ancient ship."

"Oh him. Zlinky."

Daniel smirked. "And you've got Major Sheppard." The smirk became a grin when Rodney could not help but glance back across the room to where the Major was sitting alone.

"We could still use you."

Daniel's smile softened. "I'm going to miss you too, Rodney."

Rodney nodded and stood up, rubbing his hands together. "Should have the ZPM integrated within two hours. And the condemned ate a hearty breakfast."

Daniel rose too, knowing this might be their last chance to say a proper goodbye. "I'll walk you to the control room."

***

The answer of what else to take with him came as John watched Rodney sink a third coffee in the cafeteria at breakfast. Although he'd seen it often enough by now, watching Rodney eat was still fascinating in the strictly horror sense of the word because John's parents had brought him up with a fine set of table manners. He loved to watch Rodney drink though. He loved the way his head tilted back, exposing the long column of pale throat, Adam's apple bobbing with each swallow. He loved the way Rodney ran his tongue over his lips afterwards as if to capture any droplets that might try to escape, and then there were the tiny, soft moans of pleasure as the coffee hit his stomach while the caffeine hit his brain. Those breathy little moans had fueled a number of fantasies before becoming a reality last night, and now John had a different image of what would be sliding between those soft lips and coming down that beautiful throat as he recalled the amazing blow job that had left him tingling from head to toes earlier this morning.

He made a few pleading noises to the catering staff sergeant after Rodney had left to finalize his work integrating the ZPM, and left with enough ground coffee to fill all the empty spaces in his allowance. Forget the black market that would spring up should they lose contact with Earth indefinitely, John intended to entice McKay back to his bed with real coffee once the expedition supply ran dry.

Most of his kit went onto one of the wheeled transports that were as vital as some of the supplies they carried but he hefted his smaller pack as the call came to make his way to the gate room. The mass of people and equipment filling the room and spilling into the corridor outside was simply astounding. Voices were raised in a dozen or more languages, with bright patches advertising a truly multi-national expedition where even the soldiers came from all over the world rather than from just the US, though the US marines formed the main bulk of the military presence. With the timing so tight, he had only met his new commanding officer once and Sumner had proved to be no different from all of the ones who had come before him, which was a shame because John thought he might be a lot more open minded than his non-SGC counterparts. Perhaps more like General O'Neill. By the end of his second meeting, John knew he had not ingratiated himself with Sumner by his remark about Dr. Weir giving the orders but at least Lieutenant Ford was willing to cut him some slack.

John glanced back as he reached the top of the ramp where the Stargate shimmered in a beautiful blue that matched the color of Rodney's eyes. Casually, he swept over the throng of soldiers and scientists as he waited for orders to head out, biting back on a smile when he saw Rodney in his light brown and blue uniform, shouldering his pack and looking up nervously at the Stargate and then at him. It occurred to John then that, despite knowing about the Stargate, very few of these scientists, McKay included, had ever stepped through it. This was a frightening new step for them too. He turned back when the time came and held his breath as he took his first single step, feeling his body pull apart in the strangest sensation and then reform as he stepped through the other side into a darkness lit only by the flashlights attached to the P90s carried by the first team. Then the lights started to come on with every step he took deeper into the gate room, revealing the amazing architecture that was so reminiscent of the outpost in Antarctica with its delicate lattice work and stained glass. He felt a presence beside him and smiled softly when he realized it was Rodney. Together, they climbed the stairs leading up to another level overlooking the Stargate, amazed as the stairs lit up beneath their feet.

Any residual fear left John as he felt a new warmth seeping into the few remaining cold places in his soul, places that he had not even recognized until this moment. He felt the city calling to him, just as Rodney had called to his soul, filling him as the lights revealed amazing designs in colors of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.

This was Atlantis, the fabled lost city of the Ancients.

With Rodney by his side, John knew he had finally come home.

THE END

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed this series that followed from the discovery of the Antarctic outpost until they stepped into Atlantis :-D


End file.
